After a birthday or holiday, my children migrate between new toys. From the basketball hoop in the basement to new dolls and games, they are never still for any length of time. However, it’s not the toys that are keeping my kids engaged, it’s my iPhone.
No, I didn’t give my five-year old child my iPhone for Christmas. Tsk, tsk, I know what you were thinking. My daughter is taking my phone everywhere she goes because her best friend is on the other end of it. She’s using the app FaceTime (similar to Skype) to enjoy a daily play date of imagination with her BFF – her best friend from our last assignment who now lives in South Carolina.
Every morning, she’s played Legos, Barbie’s, veterinarians, American Girl dolls and more all with the convenience of technology. I watch behind a cracked door as my daughter speaks so animated, twirls in her tutu, to a small video screen that is carefully positioned deep inside her dollhouse. I hear a squeal and the familiar sound of laughter coming from the painted miniature bedroom on the third floor of Barbie’s Dream House. They are entranced with each other, it’s as if they never moved from each other. I’m bemused by it at first, but I realize it’s a modern child’s play. I’m grateful for the technology. My daughter is truly happy.
